Shelly to Sharpes Beach Cycle / Pathway - Ballina

Attractions

Wide, meandering coastal bushland cycle / pathway is more or less 5km in length

There are look outs, beach access points with showers, a separate heritage walkway

Large colourful and informative signs sharing local aboriginal history and culture

Amenities

General Information

What a fantastic coastal initiative recently completed by Ballina Shire Council. A wonderful coastal-bush cycle/pathway now runs between Shelly and Sharpes Beach in Ballina.

Perfect for walkers, joggers, runners, scooters, bicycles, pushers and strollers; this wide, meandering pathway is more or less 5km in length – it only took us 30 mins one-way using kids scooters and frequently stopping to take photos en route.

Part bitchumen, part grated mesh, there are frequent intersections along the way where it can be easily accessed from numerous points along Angels Beach and Flat Rock. I will say that grated mesh can be quite noisy with scooters (we took our bikes a few days later and it was much quieter). Be on the lookout for native wildlife – we saw a large chocolate brown kangaroo bound across the pathway right in front of us!

There are look outs, beach access points with showers, a separate heritage walkway (we haven’t done this yet) plus plenty of seating along the way and large colourful and informative signs sharing local aboriginal history and culture.

It’s a mainly flat-ish pathway. There’s a bit of a hill near the beginning (Shelly Beach end) so slow on the scooters/bikes there; the rest has very mild inclines/descents but it is worth noting that it is winding so should not be taken at speed.

In terms of amenities, if you start at the Shelly Beach Road, the entrance to the bike path is pretty much opposite the iconic lighthouse & windmill house near the top of the road. It’s about 500m up from The Belle General Cafe, an absolute treat of a place serving great food and refreshments and even has a cute little corner with kids books and toys. It’s the perfect place to stop off for a well-deserved smoothie or cuppa and cake!

Further down the road Shelly Beach carpark offers public toilets and showers and when the tide is out a man-made wading pool can be found between the rocks on the southern side of the beach. This is very popular with the littlies. Click here for more info on Shelly Beach.

At the other end, Sharpes Beach is an uncrowded beach far enough away to relax and unwind but don’t forget to bring your own refreshments as there are no shops or kiosks nearby. Although dogs are allowed on this beach, they are required to wear a leash at all times.